Wege-Shaped Tile Spacer

Abstract

The disclosure relates to tile spacing devices for insertion between tiles being spaced apart from one another and/or from other features on a surface. The spacers include a wedge portion and a tongue portion. Unlike previous wedges used for tile spacing, at least one face of the wedge described herein is indented. When inserted between adjacent tiles, at least the indented portion of the face will not contact a tile, which can minimize adhesion of grout, mortar, and adhesives to the spacer, facilitating its removal. The tongue portion of the spacer extends beyond the face of adjacent flat tiles, even when the entire wedge portion is inserted into the inter-tile space. The tongue portion can be gripped by a user to facilitate removal of the spacer from set tiles.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

The disclosure relates generally to the field of tile installation. Commonly installed tiles include those made of ceramic, stone, wood, webbed mosaic, and other materials (hereinafter generally referred to as “tiles”). Tile-spacing devices are widely used by both professionals and novices for maintaining adequate and consistent spacing between tiles,

In the process of covering floor, wall and counter surfaces with ceramic tile and the like, individual tiles, or sheets of mosaic glued to a mesh webbing, are individually set into either some form of adhesive, or some form of mortar. In the process of setting the individual pieces, it is known to use tile-spacing devices to assist in achieving desired (often uniform, at least for regularly-sized tiles) grout spacing between the tiles or sheets of mosaic. These tile-spacing devices are typically in the shape of a cross, so as to define a corner where four tiles will intersect.

Tile-spacing devices are typically made of semi-rigid plastic or soft rubber having depths ranging from ⅛ to ¼ of an inch, with spacing widths of between 1/32 of an inch (i.e., <1 millimeter) and ⅜ of an inch or more. For brick, cement block and larger tiles, larger sizes of spacers, with considerably more depth, are used. Such spacers also are sometimes used edgewise as stacking spacers for vertical installations (wall tiles).

Tiling of vertical or inclined surfaces includes a complication not present in tiling of substantially horizontal surfaces. Tiles are typically set into a relatively viscous liquid or semi-solid substrate, such as thinset mortar or a silicone or other gel-like adhesive. Setting tiles into such a substrate permits repositioning of tiles from the initial location of placement, typically in the two-dimensions that characterize the surface being tiled, but also in the dimension perpendicular to the surface being tiled (i.e., setting a tile “deeper” into the substrate. Such deliberate repositioning is often performed to align the edges of tiles, or otherwise change the relative positions of two or more tiles. Under the influence of gravity, however, unintended repositioning of tiles can occur when the surface being tiled is not horizontal. Wedges or tile spacers are often inserted between tiles on a non-horizontal surface during their installation to prevent such unintended repositioning.

There are drawbacks to using standard-sized spacers to support tiles (i.e., prevent unintended repositioning thereof) in non-horizontal installations. For example, one or more intersections of the surface being tiled and adjacent surfaces (e.g., the interface between a vertical wall to be tiled and the floor directly beneath that wall) can be irregular or curved. If tiles are spaced away from such an intersection using ordinary spacers of a single size, then irregularities in the interface can be transmitted to the tiles, leading to irregular or otherwise undesirable spacing of the tiles. Likewise, unintentional variations in tile dimensions can lead to irregularities in tile spacing when spacers of uniform size are used, because the spacers merely transmit the dimensional variations from one tile to the next.

By way of example, using standard spacers to lay a horizontal row of identical square tiles on a wall surface above a floor that has a non-horizontal slope at the floor-wall intersection will cause the top edges of the tiles to exhibit the same slope as the floor-wall intersection. In order to obtain a row of tiles having horizontal upper edges, it is necessary either to cut the tiles (which is often impractical) or to space the lower edges of the tiles from the floor in a manner that takes into account the slope of the floor. Others have used wedge- shaped materials as spacers to achieve such spacing of tiles,

Further by way of example, square tiles are often set in aligned rows and columns to pleasing effect. So long as all tiles are perfectly square, identically-sized spacers can be used to achieve this effect. However, variations in tile manufacture can lead to some tiles of different lots (or even within the same lot) having dimensions that differ slightly from one another. In aligned-row-and-column configurations and other tile configurations in which the linearity of inter-tile grout lines can easily be visually assessed, such tile dimension variations can produce pronounced deviations from linearity, such that the visually pleasing effect of the aligned tile configuration is diminished. In such instances, wedge-shaped materials can be used in combination with ordinary tile spacers to account for minor variations in tile dimensions.

Wedges have previously used by others in connection with spacing of tiles. By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,354,058 to Lewis (expired) discloses simple solid wedges and their use in spacing tiles on horizontal and vertical surfaces. U.S. Pat. No. 5,010,654 discloses generally U-shaped tile spacers having an wedge-shaped extension therefrom, such that multiple spacers can be stacked atop one another to form a thicker spacer, including in the stack, optionally the wedge-shaped portion. Alvarez (U.S. Pat. No. 7,818,923) discloses tile spacers having multiple opposed pairs of flat portions on two extensions, each pair defining a spacing difference, and the two extensions being separated from one another by a short curved or sloping transitional region. Golkar (U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,068) discloses tile spacers having wedge-shaped spacing elements for facilitating removal of the spacer from adhered tile, rather than for adjustable spacing of tiles. Kowalski (U.S. Pat. No. 5,623,799) discloses tile spacers having wedge-shaped portions for insertion within pockets or notches formed within the bodies of tiles.

Previously-known wedges have several drawbacks. First, as with most objects that are inserted within inter-tile joints that are fully or partially filled with grout or adhesive, the grout or adhesive can adhere to wedges, inhibiting their removal once they are no longer needed for tile positioning purposes. A wedge having lesser tendency to be tenaciously adhered within the tiled surface would be desirable. Second, many wedges can be difficult to handle on account of the fact that they are not designed to be easily manipulable. Third, previously-known wedges tend to move relatively easily, sliding along or falling out of joints into which they have been inserted. Furthermore, previously known wedges are impractical for use with tiles that are set at different angles (e.g., two flat tiles set such that their surface planes intersect at a 90 degree angle). A need exists for a wedge-like device for use in tile spacing and setting applications that does not exhibit the drawbacks of previously known wedges.

The technology described herein satisfies this need.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The disclosure relates to a device for spacing tiles on a surface. The device includes a wedge portion and a tongue portion. The wedge portion has a vertex end, an apex end, a support face, an indented face, an indentation floor, and at least one indentation sidewall. The support face of the wedge portion is substantially planar, and the indented face includes a substantially planar portion. The support and indented faces are positioned such that the plane of the support face and the substantially planar portion of the indented face intersect at a line that is substantially parallel to the vertex end, the intersecting planes defining an acute angle. The indentation sidewall extends along the wedge portion between the vertex end and the apex end and between the support face and the substantially planar portion of the indented face. The indentation sidewall and the indentation floor define an indentation into the indented face. The indentation floor is not coplanar with the substantially planar portion of the indented face. The tongue portion is connected to the wedge portion at the apex end thereof and extends away from it. The tongue portion extends away from the wedge portion sufficiently that the device can be gripped by a user when the entire wedge portion is inserted between two adjacent tiles having substantially co-planar exterior surfaces, thereby facilitating its removal.

The device can have numerous variations. For example, the wedge and tongue portions are preferably integral, but can be made from separate materials joined or fused together, or can even be reversibly attachable to one another. The floor of the indentation can extend partially, substantially, or completely from the vertex end to the apex end. Alternatively, the plane of the indentation floor can vary from the substantially planar portion of the indented face at a position positioned away from the vertex end (in the direction of the apex end), such that a portion of the substantially planar portion of the indented face is interposed between the vertex end and the indentation floor. In such a conformation, if the indentation floor does not extend to the apex end of the wedge portion, it will be surrounded on all edges thereof by the substantially planar portion of the indented face.

The wedge portion can have at least two indentation sidewalls situated on opposite sides of the indentation floor. The sidewalk can be located at and span the entire length of the lateral edges of the wedge portion.

In one embodiment, the indentation floor is substantially parallel to the support face.

In order to aid users, the device can have a thickness indicator thereon, the indicator indicating the thickness at one or more portions of the device, such as at the apex end of the wedge portion.

The tongue portion of the device can have a substantially planar support face and a second face opposite the support face. The support face of the wedge portion is preferably substantially coplanar with the support face of the tongue portion, yielding a support face that appears to be a single flat surface over substantially the entire portion of one side of the device. The second face of the tongue portion can be, but preferably is not, co-planar with the substantially planar portion of the indented face. The second face of the tongue portion and the substantially planar portion of the indented face can intersect at a line that is parallel to the support faces, such that the shortest distance between the line and the plane of the support faces (i.e., the “thickness” of the device at the line) corresponds to an indicium associated with the device. Such an indicium can be, for example, the color of the device, a symbol on the device, and the shape of the tongue portion.

The tongue portion can bear a gripping element for facilitating gripping of the tongue portion by a user when the entire wedge portion is inserted between two adjacent tiles having substantially co-planar exterior surfaces. Examples of such gripping elements include a depression in the second face and a hole that is defined by and extending through the tongue portion between the support and second faces thereof.

The device can also include one or more traction elements, preferably situated on at least one of the support face of the wedge portion and the support face of the tongue portion. Examples of suitable traction elements include ridges extending substantially entirely across at least one of the support face of the wedge portion and the support face. Such ridges can, for example, be substantially parallel to the vertex end of the device.

The device can be made of any of a variety of materials including, for example, a molded thermoplastic material (e.g., an acid-resistant thermoplastic). The material is preferably substantially incompressible when subjected to the forces normally incident to tile setting. Alternatively, the material can be resiliently deformable when subjected to such forces.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1, consisting of FIGS. 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, and 1E is a set of drawings showing, approximately to scale, an embodiment of a wedge-shaped tile spacer disclosed herein. FIG. 1A is an isometric view of this embodiment. FIGS. 1B, 1C, 1D, and 1E are front (i.e., vertex end), side, top, and back (i.e., tongue end) views. In FIG. 1A, the vertex edge of the spacer is at the lower right, the indentation in the indented face is visible, as are two indentation side walls that abut the outer edges of the indentation floor. The substantially planar portion of the indented face surrounds the indentation. A depression, generally square with rounded corners, is visible on the tongue portion at the upper left of the drawing, and a hole is situated within the depression, extending through the tongue portion. Ridges that act as traction elements are visible on the hidden surface of the spacer which, in this embodiment, is a single substantially coplanar surface that encompasses the support faces of both the wedge and tongue portions of the spacer. In this embodiment, the ridges are located substantially only on the wedge portion.

FIG. 2, consisting of FIGS. 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, and 2E is a set of drawings showing, approximately to scale, a second embodiment of a wedge-shaped tile spacer disclosed herein. The contents of FIGS. 2A, 213, 2C, 2D, and 2E are analogous to the contents of FIGS. 1B, 1C, 1D, and 1E, respectively, but correspond to this second embodiment,

FIG. 3, consisting of FIGS. 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, and 3E is a set of drawings showing, approximately to scale, a third embodiment of a wedge-shaped tile spacer disclosed herein. The contents of FIGS. 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, and 3E are analogous to the contents of FIGS. 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, and 1E, respectively, but correspond to this third embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a conceptual isometric diagram, not necessarily to scale, of a tile spacer described herein. In this view, the entire tongue end 14 is visible, as is an entire lateral edge 21 of the spacer. The vertex end 12 is not visible, but it can be seen that the indentation floor 26 and the substantially planar portion 22 of the indented face (which is co-planar with the second face 32 of the tongue portion in this embodiment, the substantially planar portion 22 and the second face being delineated by a thickness indicator 35) intersect at the vertex end 12 at an acute angle. Not visible in this view except for its edges, is a planar surface that in this embodiment encompasses both the support face 24 of the wedge portion and the support face 34 of the tongue portion.

FIG. 5 is a conceptual isometric diagram, not necessarily to scale, of a tile spacer described herein. This embodiment differs from that shown in FIG. 4, in that the spacer includes a pair of indentation side walls 25 and 27 that are positioned on opposite edges of indentation floor 26 and at peripheral edges 23 and 21, respectively, of the spacer.

FIG. 6 is a conceptual isometric diagram, not necessarily to scale, of a tile spacer described herein. This embodiment differs from that shown in FIG. 5 in that each of the indentation side walls 25 and 27 bears a portion of the substantially planar portion 22 of the indented face and the second face 32 of the tongue portion 30. In this embodiment, the second face 32 is substantially parallel to the support face 34 of the tongue portion and the thickness indicator 35 is the intersection of the substantially planar portion 22 of the indented face and the second face 32.

FIG. 7 is a conceptual isometric diagram, not necessarily to scale, of a tile spacer described herein. This embodiment differs from that shown in FIG. 6 in that the indentation floor 26 is disposed away from the vertex end 12 of the spacer the substantially planar portion 22 of the indented face separating the indentation floor 26 and the vertex end 12.

FIG. 8 is a conceptual isometric diagram, not necessarily to scale, of a tile spacer described herein. This embodiment differs from that shown in FIG. 7 in that the indentation having indentation floor 26 does not extend to the tongue end 14 of the spacer, but instead terminates at the apex of the wedge portion 20, represented in this embodiment by thickness indicator 35, which is the intersection of the substantially planar portion 22 of the indented face and the second face 32.

FIG. 9 is a conceptual isometric diagram, not necessarily to scale, of a tile spacer described herein. This embodiment differs from that shown in FIG. 8 in that the indentation having indentation floor 26 does not extend ^-to the thickness indicator 35, but is instead surrounded on all edges of the indentation by the substantially planar portion 22 of the indented face. Apart from differences of scale, the embodiment shown in FIG. 9 differs from that shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 primarily in the absence of the depression and hole on the tongue portion (as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3) and in contouring of surface intersections (many of which are rounded in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure relates to a device for spacing and supporting tiles, such as during their installation. The device disclosed herein has a wedge-shaped portion for insertion between two tiles, as with previously known wedge-shaped tile spacing devices. Like previous wedge-shaped devices, the devices described herein have two substantially planar faces that are angularly offset from one another at an acute angle, and can therefore be used to modulate inter-tile distance by insertion of more or less of the wedge-shaped portion between the tiles. Unlike previously known wedge-shaped spacing devices, however, the device disclosed herein has an indentation on at least one of the two angularly-offset faces. The indentation reduces adhesion between the device and mortar or adhesive in the inter-tile space. The indentation also facilitates alignment of tiles that are set in a configuration that their exterior surfaces are not co-planar, such as tiles set on adjacent faces of a corner,

Another feature of the devices disclosed herein is that they include a tongue portion that extends beyond the tile surface when the wedge portion of the spacer is fully inserted between adjacent tiles, the tongue portion optionally including one or more gripping elements for facilitating manual or tool-assisted removal of the devices from a set the surface.

Still another feature of the devices disclosed herein is that they optionally include one or more traction elements on one or both of the angularly-offset faces to inhibit undesired slippage or movement of the device following its insertion between adjacent tiles.

Further details of the elements and features of the devices disclosed herein are included in following sections,

The Basic Device

The wedge-shaped tile spacer described herein has at least three basic features. It has a wedge-shaped “wedge portion” 20, a tongue portion 30 that is fixedly connected to and extends away from the wedge portion, and an indentation in at least one substantially planar face 22 of the wedge portion 20. The indentation is defined by one or more indentation side walls 25, 27 that are present on at least the wedge portion 20 and by an indentation floor 26 that is preferably planar and, when planar, preferably parallel to the substantially planar support face 24 of the wedge portion 20.

The spacer is used by inserting it between two adjacent tiles. The spacer can be used by itself (i.e., without inserting any other item between the spacer and the two adjacent tiles). The spacer can also be used in conjunction with other spacers. For instance, two or more of the wedge-shaped spacers disclosed herein can be used together. Alternatively, or in addition, a spacer as disclosed herein can he used with ordinary spacers of uniform thickness, such as the spacers disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,536,802 when a user desires to achieve greater inter-tile separation than can be achieved using the ordinary spacer alone.

When the wedge portion of the spacer described herein is inserted between two closely-spaced tiles, the support face 24 of the wedge portion engages the edge of one of the two tiles, and the substantially planar portion 22 of the indented face engages the edge of the other of the two tiles. Obviously, one or more other objects can be interposed between either the support face 24 or the substantially planar portion 22 and he corresponding tile edge. Because the support face 24 and the substantially planar portion 22 are angularly offset from one another, inserting the vertex end 12 of the spacer more deeply into the inter-tile gap will urge the two tiles apart, increasing the inter-tile distance, in a manner controllable by such insertion. Conversely, withdrawing the vertex end 12 from the inter-tile gap will permit the tiles to be more closely spaced. By controlling the extent to which the wedge portion 20 of the spacer is inserted between two tiles, a user can control separation of the tiles, permitting alignment of grout lines or other desired conformations.

FIG. 4-9 show simplistic representations of the spacer described herein. FIGS. 1-3 show more specific and practical embodiments.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, the spacer has a single indentation sidewall 25 which, together with indentation floor 26 defines an indentation that extends between sidewall 25 and a lateral edge 21 of the spacer. In the embodiment in this figure, the indentation extends along the entire length of the spacer, from its vertex end 12 to its tongue end 14. In this embodiment, the indentation floor 26 is substantially parallel to each of the support face 24 of the wedge portion and the support face 34 of the tongue portion (the two support faces being coplanar in this embodiment). Disposed “above” (relative to the support faces, which are “below”) the indentation floor 26 in this view is the substantially planar portion 22 of the indented face of the wedge portion (which is coplanar with the second surface 32 of the tongue portion in this embodiment). The substantially planar portion 22 and the support face 24 are offset from one another such that the planes of the two surfaces intersect at an acute angle at a line (not shown in FIG. 4 and beyond the vertex end 12 of the spacer shown therein) that, in this embodiment, is parallel to vertex end 12. It can he seen from FIG. 4 that, in this embodiment, the thickness of the spacer (i.e., within the indentation, the shortest distance between the surface of the indentation floor 26 and support face 24; for the portion of the substantially planar portion 22 not within the indentation, the shortest distance between the substantially planar portion 22 and support face 24) at its vertex end 12 is substantially uniform along that end—i.e., both within the indentation and in the portion of the substantially planar portion 22 that is not within the indentation. Also, in this embodiment, the thickness of the spacer can be seen to be constant along the length of the spacer within the indentation, while the thickness of the spacer at the indentation side wall 25 increases along the length of the spacer, with the thickness increasing as one moves from the vertex end 12 toward the tongue end 14. In this embodiment, a dashed line printed on the indentation side wail 25 acts as a thickness indicator 35 and designates the position at which the thickness of the spacer has a certain value. That thickness value can be arbitrary, or it can correspond to an indicium associated with the spacer. By way of example, the indicium can be a color, such that all blue-colored spacers have a thickness indicator 35 designating a thickness of one quarter of an inch marked thereon. Further by way of example, the thickness indicator 35 can be a graduated scale printed on, applied to, or impressed into the spacer. Still further by way of example, the thickness indicator 35 can be a transition point between two planar portions (e.g., as in FIG. 9).

The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5 includes two indentation sidewalls 25 and 27 that are situated on opposite edges of the indention defined by those sidewalls and by indentation floor 26. An advantage of having multiple sidewalls spaced apart from one another is that differential spacing distances can be obtained for each of the sidewalk by inserting the spacer between tiles in an “offset” fashion. That is, the spacer will often be inserted between two tiles in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the vertex end 12; as a result, the thickness of the spacer at the portions of sidewalls 25 and 27 that contact the tile(s) will be substantially the same. If the spacer is inserted in a direction substantially peripherally offset from perpendicular to vertex end 12 (i.e., if the spacer is rotated such that one of peripheral edges 21 and 23 more nearly faces the tiled surface than the other peripheral edge 21 or 23), then the tile(s) will contact one of sidewalk 25 and 27 at a position nearer the vertex end 12 than the other sidewall, meaning that the thickness of the spacer will be greater at one contact point than at the other, with the result that an “angled” alignment of the tile edge(s) contacting the spacer can be achieved. Such an angled alignment can be important for achieving a desired final tile configuration, such as when imperfections in tile manufacture result in a tile having an inappropriately-angled edge. An additional advantage of using a spacer which, as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 5 contacts tile(s) edges at multiple discrete points is that edge-imperfections (e.g., projections, lumps, high or low spots, and the like that deviate from the overall shape of the tile edge) can be situated within the indentation, so that they do not interfere with the tile alignment function of the portions of the spacer that contact the tile. Even for tiles having highly irregular edges, use of a spacer having multiple points of contact (rather than a single wide spacer that potentially contacts only a single point on the tile edge) can provide a more stable tile alignment.

FIG. 6 illustrates an embodiment in which the tongue portion 30 of the spacer has a substantially uniform thickness (i.e., the shortest distance between the second face 32 of the tongue portion and the support face 34 thereof). Advantageously, such a spacer can be used either as a wedge-shaped spacer, as disclosed herein, or as a uniform-thickness spacer. When used as a uniform-thickness spacer, the tongue end 14 of the spacer is inserted between adjacent tiles. Because the thickness of the tongue portion does not exceed a certain value at any portion thereof, and is substantially uniform at the thickest portions thereof, tiles urged against the tongue portion will be separated by the thickness of the tongue portion (and any other items interposed between the tiles and the tongue portion, such as the wedge portion 20 of a second spacer disclosed herein). In this embodiment, the thickness indicator 35 is embodied as a visible intersection between the planes of the second faces 32 of the tongue portion 30 and the substantially planar portions 22 of the indented face of the wedge portion 20.

FIG. 7 illustrates an embodiment in which the indentation in the indented face of the wedge portion does not extend to the vertex end 12 of the spacer. In the illustrated embodiment, this is manifested as interposition of the substantially planar portion 22 of the indented face of the wedge portion 20 between the indentation floor 26 and the vertex end 12 of the spacer. Having the substantially planar portion 22 extend from one peripheral edge of the spacer to the other at the vertex end 12 thereof can facilitate insertion of the spacer between tiles, particularly when force must be used to separate tiles that are in contact with the substantially planar portion 22 and the support face 24 of the wedge portion upon, or shortly after insertion of the spacer between the tiles.

FIG. 8 illustrates an embodiment of the spacer in which the indentation extends neither to the vertex end 12 nor to the tongue end 14 of the spacer, in this embodiment, the indentation (which in this embodiment corresponds to the indentation floor 26) is displaced away from the vertex end 12; at that end, the substantially planar portion 22 extends across the entire width (i.e., from one peripheral edge to the other) of the spacer. The indentation extends toward the tongue portion, but extends through the wedge portion only as far as the apex end thereof; it does not extend into the tongue portion, in this embodiment, the thickness indicator 35 corresponds to the intersection between the planes of the second face 32 of the tongue portion 30 and the substantially planar portion 22 of the wedge portion 20 (i.e., it occurs at the apex end of the wedge portion). No portion of the tongue portion is thicker than the apex of the wedge portion. Thus, the maximum distance that two adjacent tiles will be separated by inserting the vertex end 12 of the spacer between the tiles is the thickness of the apex of the wedge portion, regardless of how deeply the spacer is inserted between the tiles. This embodiment is therefore useful for controlling inter-tile distance such that it does not exceed a maximum value, here the thickness of the spacer at the apex of the wedge portion.

FIG. 9 illustrates an embodiment in which the indentation does not extend either to the vertex end 12 of the spacer or to the apex of the wedge portion 20, but is instead surround on all of its edges by the substantially planar portion 22 of the indented face of the wedge portion 20. In this embodiment, the thickness of the tongue portion 30 does not exceed the thickness of the spacer at the apex of the wedge portion 20 (i.e., the thickness at the thickness indicator 35); however, the thickness of the tongue portion nonetheless can exceed that thickness, if desired, with such an embodiment essentially including two wedge-shaped portions: the wedge portion 20 and a wedge-shaped tongue portion 30. As illustrated in FIG. 4, when the tongue portion 30 is wedge-shaped, it can have the same relative slope as the wedge portion 20. That is, the acute angle defined by the planes of the second surface 32 of the tongue portion and the support face 24 of the wedge portion (Which is coplanar with the support face 34 of the tongue portion in FIG. 4) can be equal to the acute angle defined by the planes of the substantially planar portion 22 of the indented face of the wedge portion 20 and the support face 24. Alternatively, the slope of the support at the tongue portion can differ from the slope of the support at the wedge portion.

The Wedge Portion of the Spacer

The wedge portion of the spacer is at the vertex end 12 of the spacer and extends through its apex end, at which apex end the tongue portion is fixedly connected to the wedge portion. The wedge portion has a support face 24 that is substantially planar. The wedge portion also includes a second, opposed face of a wedge (i.e., one leg of a ‘V,’ with the support face being the second leg), that second face herein designated the indented face. The indented face includes one or more portions 22 that are substantially planar. That is, the substantially planar portion 22 can be a single, contiguous planar surface (e.g., as in FIG. 9) or two or more non-contiguous, co-planar surfaces (e.g., as in FIG. 6). The substantially planar portion 22 and the support face 24 are angularly offset from one another by an acute angle. The line that defines the intersection of the planes of the substantially planar portion 22 and the support face 24 defines a vertex, and the vertex end 12 of the spacer is preferably parallel to that vertex.

At its vertex end 12, the wedge portion can extend completely to the vertex (i.e., to a relatively sharp edge, akin to the edge of a knife or prism). Alternatively, the vertex end 12 can be truncated short of the vertex, yielding a relatively blunt end. The vertex end 12 can be rounded, angled at an angle different from that at the vertex, or otherwise configured. The extent, if at all, to which the vertex end 12 should be truncated short of the vertex can be decided by the fabricator based, for example, on whether the spacer is intended to be used to urge apart tightly-spaced tiles, to make very small changes to tile separation effected by other tile-setting devices, to be inserted between relatively distantly-spaced tiles (i.e., where a substantial gap will exist prior to inserting the spacer, such that a narrow vertex end 12 should not be necessary to achieve insertion), and the like.

Significantly, the wedge portion 20 of the spacer bears an indentation in at least a portion of the indented face thereof. The indentation is defined by at least one indentation side wall 25 and an indentation floor 26 and extends “into” the wedge portion 20 (i.e., the indentation floor 26 at a position a distance from the vertex end 12 in the direction of the tongue end is nearer the support face 24 of the wedge portion than is a portion of the substantially planar portion 22 located the same distance from the vertex end 12 in the same direction). Thus, the indented face of the wedge portion 20 has a substantially planar portion 20 that is adjacent to, or surrounds, a void in that surface. Preferably, the wedge portion 20 includes multiple indentation side walls 25, such as is illustrated in FIG. 5, with one indentation sidewall 25 adjacent the indentation on one peripheral edge 23 of the wedge portion 20 and a second indentation side wall 27 adjacent the indentation on the opposite peripheral edge 21.

The indentation sidewalls 25 preferably extend in the direction between the vertex end 12 and the tongue end 14 of the spacer. The substantially planar portion 22 of the indented face includes the surface of at least one of the indentation sidewalls, and preferably includes the entire indented face surface of each indentation sidewall 25. That is, the indentation sidewalls 25 define the thickness of the of the spacer in its wedge portion 20, such that, at any distance from the vertex end 12 along the length of the spacer, no part of the wedge portion is more distant from the support face 24 than is the substantially planar portion 22.

The breadth (i.e., thickness in the direction between the peripheral edges 21 and 23 of the wedge portion 20, that is, in the direction perpendicular to the length of the spacer) of the indentation sidewalls 25 is not critical. The indentation sidewalls 25 should be sufficiently broad that they can withstand the forces normally incident to tile spacing (i.e., being urged against tile edges with not more than about 50 pounds of force applied along their length). The breadth can be constant along the length of the indentation side wall 25, or it can vary along its length.

The shape of the wedge portion, when viewed from a perspective perpendicular to either of the support face 24 or the indented face is not critical. As shown in the figures, a conformation in which the wedge portion has a generally rectangular shape when viewed from such a perspective is preferable. That is, the peripheral edges 21 and 23 of the spacer are preferably parallel to one another, at least in the wedge portion 20 of the spacer, and the vertex end 12 and apex end of the wedge portion 20 are preferably parallel to one another and perpendicular to the peripheral edges 21 and 23. However, the peripheral edges 21 and 23 can be straight and either converge or diverge toward the vertex end 12. The peripheral edges 21 and 23 need not even be straight—one or both can be curved. Similarly, the vertex end 12 and apex end of the wedge portion 20 can be straight or curved. Furthermore, in one embodiment, the peripheral edges 21 and 23 converge toward the vertex end 12 and meet at a point at that end, such that the wedge portion has the conformation of a rectangular cone, with one or more indentation sidewalls 25 on the indented face thereof. Such an embodiment can be useful for spacing tiles at interior corner locations that might otherwise be difficult to reach using a spacer having a more rectangular conformation at its vertex end 12.

The Indentation

The indentation occurs in at least a portion of the wedge portion 20 of the spacer. It is defined by one or more indentation sidewalls 25 and an indentation floor 26 that is not coplanar with the substantially planar portion 22 of the indentation face of the wedge portion 20. The indentation can extend along the entire length of the spacer, from one or both of the vertex end 12 and the tongue end 14, or from/to neither of the two ends. The purpose of the indentation is prevent contact between the spacer and either the the against which the indented face is urged or materials that exist within the inter-tile space into which the spacer is inserted. The depth (i.e., the difference between the thickness of the spacer at a selected position along the length of the spacer from the vertex end 12 of the spacer and the shortest distance between the indentation floor 26 and the support face 24 at that position) of the indentation is not critical. Preferably, the indentation floor 26 is parallel to the support face 24.

The shape of the indentation is defined by the conformation of the indentation sidewalls 25, and is not critical. In one embodiment, the indentation sidewalls 25 extend linearly along the length of the spacer, yielding a slot-shaped indentation. Rounded or clamshell-shaped indentations can also be used. In one embodiment, the indentation is shaped such that it can accommodate one or more tiles on the indentation floor 26. By way of example, if the spacer is inserted at an edge of two flat tiles set such that their surfaces are a right angles to one another (e.g., at an outside corner of a wall), edges of the two tiles can be urged against the indentation floor 26, such that each tile is offset from the vertex-end-to-tongue-end axis of the spacer at a 45 degree angle, with the indentation sidewalls placed so that they do not interfere with the conformation of the tiles.

The Tongue Portion of the Spacer

The tongue portion extends beyond the surface of a pair of tiles between which the spacer is inserted, even when the entire wedge portion is inserted into the inter-tile space. The purpose of the tongue portion is to facilitate removal of the spacer from the tiles when its presence is no longer desired, such as after mortar into which tiles have been set with the aid of the spacers has set.

If the tongue portion is sufficiently large, it can be grasped by a tile-setter's fingers and pulled from between the tiles. Alternatively, a setter may use a hammer, boot, towel dragged across the surface, or other tool to remove spacers that extend significantly beyond the tiled surface.

The size of the tongue portion may be reduced without eliminating the ability to remove the spacer if the tongue portion includes a gripping element 36. Gripping elements 36 are any conformations of the tongue portion that facilitate removal of the spacer, either by hand or using a tool. Examples of gripping elements 36 suitable for facilitating manual removal include textured surfaces (e.g., surfaces with ridges, bumps, or handles formed thereon), depressions that facilitate gripping with fingers, and strings or cords. Examples of gripping elements 36 suitable for facilitating tool-assisted removal of spacers include one or more holes extending through the tongue portion (i.e., a hook or other tool can be inserted into the hole and used to pull it from the tiled surface), tabs grippable using a pliers, and the like. Because the tongue portion 30 is fixedly attached to the wedge portion 20 of the spacer, facilitating gripping of the tongue portion will facilitate removal of the spacer.

In an important embodiment, the tongue portion has a substantially uniform thickness. In another important embodiment, the tongue portion has a frame or other portion suitable for insertion between tiles that has a uniform thickness. Such spacers can be used as tile spacers in the same manner as known uniform-thickness tile spacers, and have the added advantage of having the wedge portion attached thereto, so that the same spacers may be used both for traditional (i.e., uniform-thickness) spacing and for minor modifications thereto.

In addition to facilitating removal of the spacer, the tongue portion can also facilitate alignment, retention, or storage of the spacers. The tongue portion can include one or more elements (e.g., a sight mark, a hole, a tab, a shelf, or a notch) that facilitates visual or mechanical alignment of spacers, if desired. If the tongue portion includes a bulky portion (i.e., a portion having a thickness significantly greater than the maximum thickness of the wedge portion, or if it includes a hole or attachment point at Which another object (e.g., a cord, rod, or a magnet) can be connected to the tongue portion, then loss of spacers attributable to falling into or through tiles or boards being spaced can be achieved. Thus, for example, when the spacers are being used to space boards on the floor of a backyard patio deck, if a taut string (or a dowel, nail, screw, or other rigid article) extends through a hole in the tongue portion of multiple spacers, the spacers can be inserted vertically between the boards and will not fall through gaps between the boards, even if the spacers are dropped or if the boards are momentarily spaced farther apart than the thickness of the spacer.

Traction Elements

The spacer preferably has one or more traction elements on a face that contacts a surface of at least one of the tiles that will contact the spacer. By way of example, traction elements can be applied to the support face 24 of the wedge portion 20, to the support face 34 of the tongue portion 30, or to both. Because the support face 24 of the wedge portion 20 will normally be engaged with a tile when the spacers described herein are used, the traction elements are preferably present at least on that support face 24.

Traction elements include any surface treatments or applications that will tend to increase the coefficient of friction between the surface of the spacer and a tile surface. Examples of suitable traction elements include ridges, bumps, roughened or abraded surfaces, and surfaces to which materials (e,g., a thin layer of latex or rubber cement) having a relatively high coefficient of static friction are applied.

Materials and Manufacture

The spacers described herein can be made from substantially any material, so long as the material is able to maintain its integrity (i.e., not readily break) under the stresses and strains normally incident to tile setting work. Preferably, the spacers are made from a material that does not appreciably compress under such stresses and strains. To the extent the material used compresses at all, it should preferably compress in a resilient fashion, so that the spacers can be reused for multiple tile spacing jobs.

The spacers should be made from a material that is resistant to degradation under the alkaline conditions characteristic of many mortars and grouts. Because acidic solutions (e.g., vinegar or diluted vinegar) are sometimes used to clean tiling tools, the spacers are preferably also resistant to degradation upon exposure to acids.

Thermoplastics are examples of suitable materials from which to make the spacers described herein. Such materials are readily formable, generally economical, and many are relatively acid- and alkali-resistant.

Rubbers and other materials having a relatively high coefficient of static friction (i.e., higher than smooth high density polyethylene surfaces) are suitable materials,

The spacers can be made in substantially any way. The relative simplicity of the shape and conformation of the spacers make molding and casting processes appropriate for their manufacture. The spacers can also be made by machining, or by a combination of molding and machining methods.

Use of the Spacer

The spacer described herein can be used, alone or in conjunction with known tile spacing devices, to space tiles. In use, the wedge portion 20 is inserted between two adjacent tiles, either directly between the tiles, or with one or both of the indented face and the support face 24 urged against one or more other articles (e,g., a common fixed-width cross-shaped tile spacer) present in the inter-tile space. As the wedge portion of the spacer is urged between the tiles, the thickness of the spacer increases, and force used to insert the spacer is exerted upon the tiles by the support face 24 and the substantially planar portion 22 of the indented face, urging the tiles farther apart. The spacer is urged into the gap between the tiles until a desired tile conformation is attained, and then is left at that position. For heavy tiles or tiles being set in a vertical orientation, it can be necessary to separately (i.e., other than, or in addition to, simply pushing the spacer into the gap) move the tiles apart in order to facilitate insertion of the spacer into the gap. The weight or pressure of the tile can thereafter be used to hold the spacer in place, especially when a traction element is present on one or both of the indented face and the support face 24.

Once the mortar or adhesive into which the tiles are set hardens or solidifies (i.e., sufficiently that the tiles will not change their configuration if the spacers are removed, the spacers can be removed by any convenient method. Because the tongue portion of the spacers described herein remains above the tiled surface even when the entire wedge portion of the spacer is inserted between tiles, a portion of each spacer remains available for gripping (manually, or with a tool such as a hook, pliers, or squeegee) by a user.

In several of the embodiments described herein (e,g., those shown in FIGS. 1-3 and 6-9), the thickness of the tongue portion is substantially uniform along the length of the entire tongue portion. The tongue portion of those embodiments can be used as a traditional uniform-thickness the spacer in the same manner as known devices. Furthermore, two or more of the spacers disclosed herein can be stacked and inserted between adjacent tiles. By way of example, the tongue portion of a spacer having a tongue portion 30 with a uniform thickness can be stacked against the wedge portion 20 of an identical spacer. The stacked wedge+tongue portion can be inserted between adjacent tiles to space them a controllable amount greater than the thickness of the tongue portion 30. Similarly, wedge portions 20 of two identical spacers can be stacked against the tongue portion of a spacer having a tongue portion 30 with a uniform thickness (with the support face 24 of one wedge portion 20 adjacent the support face 34 of the tongue portion 30 and the support face 24 of the other wedge portion 20 adjacent the second face 32 of the tongue portion 30) to yield a stacked wedge+tongue+wedge portion that can be inserted between adjacent tiles. Two wedge portions 20 can be stacked with their support faces 24 against one another and the stacked portions inserted between adjacent tiles.

In addition to reducing binding between mortar or adhesive and the spacer, the indentation in the indented face can also be used to support tiles. For example, when the indentation floor 26 substantially planar and substantially planar to the support face 24 of the wedge portion 20, a tile set against a first surface that is perpendicular to a second surface can be supported by the indentation floor 26 if the support face 24 rests against the second surface and the tile contacts the indentation floor 26. In this configuration, the spacer will prevent the tile from approaching the second surface any closer than the thickness of the spacer at the indentation floor 26. If the first surface is a wall, for example, and the second surface is a floor, such a configuration can be used to maintain a tile set against the wall at a selected position (above the floor at a distance equal to the thickness of the spacer at the indentation floor 26) by resting a corner of the tile on the indentation floor 26 of the spacer while the support face 24 of the spacer rests against the floor. Similarly, two tiles set at a right angle to one another, with both being set at a right angle to a second surface (e.g., an outside corner of a wall above a floor), can rest upon the indentation floor 26 of a spacer set against the floor and be held in place. Spacers inserted between stacked pairs of such tiles (e.g., tiles at an outside corner of a wall) can similarly support the stacked tile pairs.

When a spacer described herein includes more than one indentation sidewall 25, the spacer will often be inserted between adjacent tiles such that the thickness of the spacer at the point of contact between the adjacent tiles and the spacer is the same for each indentation sidewall 25. However, this need not be so. The spacer can be inserted (e,g., at an angle offset from the vertex-end-to-tongue-end axis) so that one indentation sidewall 25 is inserted ‘deeper’ into the inter-tile space, meaning that the spacer will be thicker at that sidewall and will tend to tilt one or both of the tiles it contacts. This can be advantageous for positioning tiles, such as when correcting for imperfections in manufactured tiles or cut stones.

Definitions

As used herein, the “length” of a spacer disclosed herein is the distance from its vertex end 12 to its tongue end 14. References to length as a direction refers to this axis.

As used herein, the “width” of a spacer disclosed herein is the distance between the lateral edges 21 and 23 of the wedge portion 20 of the spacer, measured at its widest location.

As used herein, the “thickness” of a spacer disclosed herein at a distance from its vertex end 12 along its length is, for the wedge portion of the spacer, the shortest distance between the substantially planar portion 22 of the indented face thereof and the support face 24 of the wedge portion 20 and, for the tongue portion of the spacer, the shortest distance between the second face 32 of the tongue portion and the support face 34 of the tongue portion 30.

EXAMPLES

The subject matter of this disclosure is now described with reference to the following Examples. These Examples are provided for the purpose of illustration only, and the subject matter is not limited to these Examples, but rather encompasses all variations which are evident as a result of the teaching provided herein.

FIGS. 1-3 show embodiments of the spacers described herein and illustrate some of their features. For example, each of the spacers in FIGS. 1-3 has a depression in the second face 32 of its tongue portion 30. This facilitates gripping of the spacer by a user. Each spacer also has a hole that extends through the tongue portion 30 to facilitate insertion of an item into or through the hole. This can facilitate suspension, fastening, storage, and removal of the spacer.

Comparing the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, it can be seen that the indentation in the wedge portion 20 of the spacer illustrated in FIG. 2 is set back further from the vertex edge 12 in the direction of the tongue end 14. Furthermore, the distance between the indentation floor 26 and the support face 24 of the spacer is relatively greater for the spacer in FIG. 2 than it is in FIG. 1 (i.e., the thickness is about two-thirds the thickness of the spacer at its apex end for the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, but only about one-half the thickness of the spacer at its apex end for the embodiment shown in FIG. 1).

It can furthermore be seen that tongue portion of the spacer represents about half of the total spacer length for the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, about one-quarter of the total spacer length for the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, and about one-fifth of the total spacer length for the embodiment shown in FIG. 3.

The disclosure of every patent, patent application, and publication cited herein is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

While this subject matter has been disclosed with reference to specific embodiments, it is apparent that other embodiments and variations can be devised by others skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the subject matter described herein. The appended claims include all such embodiments and equivalent variations.

Claims

1. A device for spacing tiles on a surface, the device comprising

A) a wedge portion having a vertex end, an apex end, a support face, an indented face, an indentation floor, and at least one indentation sidewall, wherein i) the support face is substantially planar, ii) the indented face includes a substantially planar portion, iii) the support face and the indented face are positioned such that the plane of the support face and the substantially planar portion of the indented face intersect at a line that is substantially parallel to the vertex end, the intersecting planes defining an acute angle, iv) the indentation sidewall extends along the wedge portion between the vertex end and the apex end and between the support face and the substantially planar portion of the indented face, and v) the indentation sidewall and the indentation floor define an indentation into the indented face, the indentation floor not being coplanar with the substantially planar portion of the indented face;

and

B) a tongue portion connected to the wedge portion at the apex end, the tongue portion extending away from the wedge portion sufficiently that the device can he gripped by a user when the entire wedge portion is inserted between two adjacent tiles having substantially co-planar exterior surfaces.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the wedge and tongue portions are integral.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the floor extends from the vertex end to the apex end.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the floor is surrounded on all edges thereof by the substantially planar portion of the indented face.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the wedge portion has at least two indentation sidewalls situated on opposite sides of the indentation floor.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the wedge portion has two indentation sidewalk located at and spanning the entire length of the lateral edges of the wedge portion.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the indentation floor is substantially parallel to the support face.

8. The device of claim 1, having a thickness indicator thereon.

9. The device of claim 1, having a distal end opposite the vertex end of the wedge portion and having side walls, wherein each of the vertex end, the distal end, and he side walls are substantially planar and perpendicular to the plane of the support face of the wedge portion.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the tongue portion has a substantially planar support face and a second face opposite the support face.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the support face of the wedge portion is substantially coplanar with the support face of the tongue portion.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the second face of the tongue portion is not co-planar with the substantially planar portion of the indented face.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the second face of the tongue portion and the substantially planar portion of the indented face intersect at a line that is parallel to the support faces, wherein the shortest distance between the line and the plane of the support faces corresponds to an indicium associated with the device.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the indicium is selected from the group consisting of the color of the device, a symbol on the device, and the shape of the tongue portion.

15. The device of claim 11, wherein the second face of the tongue portion is substantially parallel to the support face thereof.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein tongue portion bears a gripping element for facilitating gripping of the tongue portion by a user when the entire wedge portion is inserted between two adjacent tiles having substantially co-planar exterior surfaces.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the gripping element is a depression in the second face.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein the gripping element is a hole defined by and extending through the tongue portion between the support and second faces thereof.

19. The device of claim 11, wherein a portion of at least one of the support face of the wedge portion and the support face of the tongue portion bears a plurality of traction elements.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the traction elements comprise ridges extending substantially entirely across at least one of the support face of the wedge portion and the support face.

21. The device of claim 20, wherein the ridges are substantially parallel to the vertex end of the device.

22. The device of claim 2, being made of a molded thermoplastic material.

23. The device of claim 22, being made of an acid-resistant thermoplastic.

24. The device of claim 22, wherein the material is substantially incompressible when subjected to the forces normally incident to tile setting.

25. The device of claim 22, wherein the material is resiliently deformable when subjected to the forces normally incident to tile setting.